Athaliah destroys all the seed royal — but Joash is stolen away and hidden six years in the house of Hashem; in the seventh year Jehoiada crowns the king's son between the ranks, and Athaliah is slain by the way of the horses' entry.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
verse value 4171
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "mother·of" (אֵ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Athaliah" (וַֽעֲתַלְיָה֙, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "saw" (רָאֲתָ֖ה), "and·she·destroyed" (וַתְּאַבֵּ֔ד), "all·seed" (כׇּל־זֶ֥רַע). The root ראה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 76x in II Kings); "saw" (root ראה, 66x in II Kings); "her·son" (root בן, 66x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עתליה ("and·Athaliah") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·son', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words.
Radak
“And she saw that her son had died.” It is written with a vav, but read without a vav, and the meaning is the same.
“And she destroyed.” And in its place, in Chronicles, it says “and she spoke” [va-tedaber]. And the mnemonic is: “You destroy those who speak lies” [Psalms 5:7].
The kingdom. The meaning is: the kingdom of Judah. And similarly it says in Chronicles:
Ralbag
"And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead." Behold, this was from the Lord to destroy the seed that came from the house of Ahab; for the remainder whom Jehu had not killed, Athaliah killed — to the point that even Joash, the son of her son, required that Jehosheba, daughter of King Joram, save him and hide him from Athaliah so that she would not kill him. For this she hid him and his nurse in the bedchamber that was there, and she hid him and his nurse from Athaliah, and he was not killed. And Jehosheba hid them in the House of the Lord, for she dwelt there, since her husband was the High Priest; and she hid them six years, and then Athaliah reigned over the land.
Metzudat David
"Every seed." In order that she may reign, without any challenger.
But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons that were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the bed-chamber; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
verse value 10258
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 124 letters. The shortest word is "him" (אֹתוֹ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "daughter·of·the·king·Joram" (בַּת־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־י֠וֹרָ֠ם, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 407: him, him, him. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·took" (וַתִּקַּ֣ח), "Jehosheba" (יְהוֹשֶׁ֣בַע), "daughter·of·the·king·Joram" (בַּת־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־י֠וֹרָ֠ם). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "daughter·of·the·king·Joram" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "son·of·Ahaziah" (root בין, 106x in II Kings); "and·not" (root לא, 106x in II Kings). First appearance of the root יואש ("Joash") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·beds', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 6 words.
Rashi
In the chamber of the beds. In the upper room of the Holy of Holies, as he says (below verse 3): and he was in the House of the Lord hiding and so on. Of him David said (Psalms 27:5): for He shall hide me in His tabernacle, He shall conceal me in the secret of His tent. And he calls it the chamber of the beds, on account of (Song of Songs 1:13): between my breasts shall he lie, and this is what Rabbi Eliezer established: crushed is the chamber of the beds, the destruction of your house shall atone for them:
Radak
"Those who were being slain." There is a ketiv (written form) and a keri (read form): the ketiv is "hamemotim" (הממותים), and the keri is "hamumatim" (המומתים), and the meaning is the same — except that the ketiv is a noun-form, like "memotei tachalu'im" (deaths from illnesses), whereas the keri is from the verbs of the hif'il conjugation.
"In the chamber of the beds." [The verse] is elliptical, and its meaning is: she hid him and his nurse in the chamber of the beds — as [rendered by] Targum Yonatan: "and she hid him and his nurse in the chamber of the bed-house." And so too in Chronicles it is written: "And she put him and his nurse in the chamber of the beds." And afterward it says, "And they hid him" — meaning: she hid him at first, and from then on those who knew [of it] hid him as well, so that the matter was not revealed to Athaliah all six years. And the explanation of "the chamber of the beds" is that it was the chamber that was in the Court of the Levites or of the Priests. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, "the chamber of the beds" is explained as the cells; Rabbi Yishmael says: in the upper chambers, in the summer days, where the priests and Levites would lie. And there is a midrash in it: the Temple is called "the chamber of the beds" after [the verse] "between my breasts he shall lie" [Song of Songs 1:13], and it is further written, "also our couch is leafy" [Song of Songs 1:16].
Metzudat David
“Him and his nurse.” Joash and his nurse were hidden in the chamber of couches that was in the Temple.
"And they hid him." Even those who knew [where he was] concealed him, so that he would not be known to Atalyah, and for this reason he was not killed.
Malbim
"And she took him and his nurse" – and in Chronicles it is written, "And she put him and his nurse in the chamber of the beds." And according to what Rashi explained there, that she killed them by means of a plague and a poison of death, and since Jehoash was still nursing milk, they intended to give the poison of death to his nurse so that the milk would become corrupted. And the chamber in which the sick sons of the king lay on beds of languor was called the chamber of the beds. And from there she stole him and his nurse – this is what is related here. And in Chronicles it relates that the place where she hid him in the Temple was also called the chamber of the beds, named after the event, and also named after [the verse] "Bein shadai yalin" ("he lodges between my breasts," Song of Songs), as interpreted by our Sages of blessed memory. And thus it is stated there, "And she put him in the chamber of the beds."
And he was with her hid in the house of Hashem six years; and Athaliah reigned over the land.
verse value 3733
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "six" (שֵׁ֣שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Athaliah" (וַעֲתַלְיָ֖ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "hiding" (מִתְחַבֵּ֖א), "reigning" (מֹלֶ֥כֶת). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "reigning" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "house·of" (root בית, 141x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'years', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֤י [and·it·was] (31) + אִתָּהּ֙ [with·her] (406) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + מִתְחַבֵּ֖א [hiding] (451) + שֵׁ֣שׁ [six] (600) + שָׁנִ֑ים [years] (400) + וַעֲתַלְיָ֖ה [and·Athaliah] (521) + מֹלֶ֥כֶת [reigning] (490) + עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ [upon·the·land] (396) = 3733.
Metzudat David
"And he was with her." For she was the wife of the High Priest, and she continued to dwell in the Temple.
"And Athaliah reigned." And the years of her reign were six years, incomplete.
Cross-references: II Chronicles 22:11; II Chronicles 22:12
And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds, of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of Hashem; and he made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of Hashem, and showed them the king’s son.
verse value 8931
Insights
Verse structure: 25 words, 112 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 8931 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "sent" (שָׁלַ֨ח, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·the·king" (אֶת־בֶּן־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 441: them, them, them. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "for·the·Carites" (לַכָּרִי֙), "and·to·the·runners" (וְלָ֣רָצִ֔ים). The root מאה appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·brought" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings); "house·of" (root בית, 141x in II Kings). First appearance of the root שביעי ("seventh") in II Kings. First appearance of the root יהוידע ("Jehoiada") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 10 words.
Rashi
To the Carites. Chiefs of hundreds over the mighty men, and chiefs of hundreds over the runners. And the term 'Kari' [כרי] - since it does not say the plural 'Karim' [לכרים] - is a noun denoting the collective of the mighty men, 'barnir' in the vernacular:
And he made a covenant with them. That they should be on his side, to crown the son of the king:
Radak
The captains of hundreds. It is written with a yod and read without a yod, “the hundreds,” and so it is with all of them in this passage until “and Jehoiada made a covenant.” Thus it is written and thus it is read. The written text indicates the yod to the lamed of the concealed root of the word “hundred,” for the heh in “hundred” is for the feminine [gender], and the heh of the root is concealed. And these captains of hundreds were priests and Levites, for they were numerous, for David counted from the Levites four thousand gatekeepers and four thousand singers and praise-leaders.
"La-kari ve-la-ratzim" [to the Carites and to the runners]. ["La-kari"] is like "la-karim" [the Carites, plural] — and similarly "ha-roded ami tachatai" [who subdues my people under me] is like "amim" [peoples] — and the like of these we have written in the book Mikhlol. And Targum Yonatan renders "la-kari" as "le-gavraya" [to the men]. And the explanation is: he took the captains of the hundreds who were among the Levites, and he also called for the officers and the runners — the officers, to consult with them; and so it says in Chronicles, "and the heads of the fathers['-houses] of Israel." And he called the runners as well, to prepare them for guarding the king.
"And He showed them." It is in the hif'il conjugation in its completed form, "vayar'eh," with a patach under the vav.
Ralbag
Jehoiada sent and took the commanders of hundreds, of the Carites and of the guards. The intent of his saying "to the Cari" is "to the Carites," and the intent of this is officers, who are the heads of the ancestral houses of Israel, as mentioned in the Book of Chronicles. And the intent here is that Jehoiada had already taken the commanders of hundreds who were of the priests and the Levites, and sent by their hand to the heads of the ancestral houses of Israel and to the guards, that they should come to him. And indeed, he brought them to him, to the House of the Lord, and he made a covenant with them before the Lord and with the king, as mentioned subsequently, that they would not reveal them, and he made them swear by the name of the Lord to fulfill His commandment, to establish the king's son upon his father's throne. And after this, he showed them the king's son, who was Joash.
Metzudat David
“And in the seventh year.” This refers to the count of the years during which he was in hiding.
Yehoiada. It is possible that he is the Yochanan mentioned in Chronicles I 5:35. See the end of the book for the calculation of the generations.
The captains of hundreds: from among the priests and the Levites.
"For the Carites and for the guards." This also teaches that he took the Carites and the guards.
"And he cut." To establish love between them, and to have their hand with him in crowning the king's son, and he made them swear an oath regarding this:
Metzudat Zion
To the Carites. Like [the word] rams, and the officers are so called, by way of metaphor, and as is written (Isaiah 34:6): from the blood of rams and he-goats:
Malbim
"Captains of the hundreds for the Kari and for the runners": Some explain [this as] "captains of the hundreds of the Kari and the runners." And "Kari" relates to the same term as "Kereti and Peleti" (the Cherethites and the Pelethites), who were the mighty warriors. Alternatively, one may explain that he took the captains of the hundreds, and likewise he took the Kari and the runners. In Chronicles, the "mighty men" and the "rulers" are subsequently mentioned. [Then it states] "and he showed them the king's son"; whereas in Chronicles it is recorded that they went about through Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Israel, and the heads of the fathers' houses, to Jerusalem, and there they made a covenant with the king, etc.
Cross-references: II Samuel 20:23; II Chronicles 23:1
And he commanded them, saying: ‘This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, and that keep the watch of the king’s house—
verse value 5881
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "going·in" (בָּאֵ֣י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "this" (זֶ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "third" (הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֤ית, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "you·shall·do" (תַּעֲשׂ֑וּן), "third" (הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֤ית), "from·you" (מִכֶּם֙). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "saying" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "that" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings). First appearance of the root צוה ("and·he·commanded·them") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·shall·do', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיְצַוֵּ֣ם [and·he·commanded·them] (152) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + זֶ֥ה [this] (12) + הַדָּבָ֖ר [the·thing] (211) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + תַּעֲשׂ֑וּן [you·shall·do] (826) + הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֤ית [third] (1045) + מִכֶּם֙ [from·you] (100) + בָּאֵ֣י [going·in] (13) + הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת [Sabbath] (707) + וְשֹׁ֣מְרֵ֔י [and·keepers·of] (556) + מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת [charge·of] (980) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [king] (95) = 5881.
Rashi
The third part of you on the Sabbath. The watches were renewed and came on the Sabbath, priestly and Levitical watches, one entering and one going out, and he commanded the entering watch to divide into three parts, the third part in the king's house, to guard that no one should rise against the king to kill him, and the third part at the Sur gate. It is the eastern gate of the court, the gate of departure:
Radak
“Those who come in on the Sabbath and those who guard the guard.” That they should engage in their service and guard the guard of the house. And the explanation of “those who come in on the Sabbath” is that there were fixed watches among the priests and Levites from the days of David and Samuel, who instituted them. One watch would serve during the week and depart on the Sabbath after the offering of the additional sacrifices, and the next watch would enter. And Jehoiada said to them that they should guard the king, and that one-third of the guards should be from “those who come in on the Sabbath,” and two-thirds from “those who depart on the Sabbath,” because those who depart on the Sabbath are more free than those who come in on the Sabbath, for upon those who come in on the Sabbath falls the service of the week. And one-third should be at the king’s house, one-third at the gate of Sur, and one-third at the gate behind the runners. And he did not specify which third should be here and which third should be there, but rather that those who come in on the Sabbath and those who depart on the Sabbath should be divided into three parts, and they should be stationed at the three places mentioned, and they should be ready to guard those entering and exiting, so that the supporters of Athaliah would not come to kill the king.
Ralbag
And they appointed a watch, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: the third part." The third part refers to the men whom Jehoiada commanded to guard the king; these are those who come in on the Sabbath, and they are the guard that enters among the priests and the Levites, while the remainder strive in the service of the Temple. And he subsequently mentioned that those two hands are all those who go out on the Sabbath, and they are the guard that goes out. Therefore, the third part of them will be half of those who come in on the Sabbath, for all those who go out on the Sabbath constitute the two hands. Now he explained that the third part shall guard the watch of the king's house, so that no person may enter there who could harm the king. The third part shall stand at the Gate of Sor, which is the eastern gate, where the unclean were, unable to enter there; therefore it was called the Gate of Sor, in the sense of "Go away, unclean!" In Chronicles it is called the Gate of the Foundation, for it is the first foundation of holiness. And the third part [shall stand] at the gate that is after the runners. And thus you shall guard the watch of the house, the House of Massah, which is the place where the sons of Athaliah the wicked broke into the Temple, as mentioned in Chronicles. However, the two hands among these three parts that he mentioned are all those who go out on the Sabbath, and they guarded the watch of the House of the Lord for the sake of the king, so that he would not be harmed by the side of Athaliah's helpers. And they surrounded the king all around, each man with his weapon of war in his hand. And any stranger who enters among the ranks and formations that are arranged as the king's guards shall be put to death, in order to guard the king with utmost security. And these guards shall be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in, so that no harm may befall him.
Metzudat David
"The third." A third portion.
“Those who come in on the Sabbath.” For the divisions of the priests and Levites would change every Sabbath, some going out and others coming in, as it is written in Chronicles (II 23:8), “And they were called those who come in on the Sabbath.” And he said to them: “One third of you,” meaning: a third portion of the king’s guards, shall be from among the men who come in on the Sabbath.
"And the guards, etc." They shall be the guards of the watch of the royal palace, so that he [the king] not be slain in the royal palace by any of Athaliah's supporters; and that guard shall take place only after the king has entered the palace.
Malbim
(5-7) The Questions: In Chronicles it is stated: "the gatekeepers of the thresholds, the king's house, the gate of the foundation," and the commentators sought to reconcile these discrepancies, saying that the "gate of the runners" is the "gatekeepers of the thresholds," and the "gate of Sor" is the "gate of the foundation." But these words are strange. Moreover, why is it not stated what the Sabbath-goers did?
(5-7) "The third of you, etc." In Chronicles it is written: "The third of you shall come on the Sabbath to the priests and Levites for the gatekeepers of the thresholds, the third in the king's house, and the third at the gate of the foundation; and all the people in the courts of the House of the Lord. And let no one enter the House of the Lord except the priests and the ministers to the Levites, etc." The commentators struggled to harmonize the verses. But according to the plain meaning, the verse here explains that "the third of you" are the Sabbath-goers, and they shall guard the watch of the king's house from within. The other two-thirds shall be divided for guarding the Temple from without: one-third at the gate of Sor, and one-third at the gate of the runners. Now it explains the first third, who are the Sabbath-goers: "And you shall guard the watch of the house," meaning the king's house, diligently, so that they shall not divert their attention for a moment. And the other two parts (which are those who stood at the gate of Sor and at the gate of the runners) shall be all the Sabbath-goers, and they shall guard the watch of the House of the Lord from without. (And it should be explained that "and they shall guard the watch" means they shall guard the watch, i.e., guards surrounding guards.) And they shall also be for the king's service. Now, here it does not specify in detail how the guards within were divided among the Sabbath-goers; it merely states generally "the guards of the watch of the king's house." But in Chronicles, Ezra the Scribe specifies that the guard of the Sabbath-goers was divided into three: one for the gatekeepers of the thresholds, one in the king's house, and one at the gate of the foundation. And likewise, "and all the people in the courts of the House of the Lord" refers to the rest of the people, who are the two parts of the Sabbath-goers; they shall be in the courts of the House of the Lord, guarding from without, as calculated in the Book of Kings.
now another third part was at the gate Sur, and another third part at the gate behind the guard—shall keep the watch of the house, and be a barrier.
verse value 6958
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "Sur" (ס֔וּר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·third" (וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 1051: and·the·third, and·the·third. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "Sur" (ס֔וּר), "and·you·shall·keep" (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם), "meaning uncertain-perhaps n" (מַסָּֽח). The root שער appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·house" (root בית, 141x in II Kings); "after" (root אחר, 40x in II Kings); "Sur" (root סור, 27x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·ones·running', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙ [and·the·third] (1051) + בְּשַׁ֣עַר [in·gate·of] (572) + ס֔וּר [Sur] (266) + וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁ֥ית [and·the·third] (1051) + בַּשַּׁ֖עַר [in·the·gate] (572) + אַחַ֣ר [after] (209) + הָרָצִ֑ים [the·ones·running] (345) + וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם [and·you·shall·keep] (986) + אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת [guard] (1381) + הַבַּ֖יִת [the·house] (417) + מַסָּֽח [meaning uncertain-perhaps n] (108) = 6958.
Rashi
And the third part at the gate after the runners. It too is one of the gates of the court, and Yonatan translates: at the gate behind it, the gate of the runners. And the gate of the runners - by that way they would come from the king's house to the Temple, as is stated at the end of the matter. And that gate of the court, called after it 'the gate of the runners,' is called in Chronicles (II 23:4): the Gate of the Thresholds:
And you shall keep the guard of the house, on every side. This guard duty He commanded concerning the first group, of which it is said: 'and they shall keep the guard of the king's house':
Very much. Guard it greatly, that your mind should not wander, the language of despair (I Samuel 27:1), that there should not be despair in the matter, and the mem of the word is from the root:
Radak
At the Gate of Sur. And in Chronicles it is written: "At the Gate of the Foundation," and the Targum of Jonathan renders it: "At the gate of the mighty men." And there are manuscripts that read: "At the gate of the guards." And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, it is the eastern gate. Seven names were called for it:
1. The Gate of Sur, because there the ritually impure would separate. Hence the verse says: "Depart, unclean! they cried at them" [Lamentations 4:15].
2. The Gate of the Foundation, because there they would establish the halakhah.
3. The Gate of Cheres [Sun], because it was aligned opposite the rising of the sun. Hence the verse says: "He who commands the sun, and it does not shine" [Job 9:7] [alluding to the sun not rising].
4. The Gate of the Aiton, which serves as an entrance and exit.
5. The Inner Gate, which is situated between two gates.
6. The New Gate, because there the scribes would innovate in the halakhah.
7. The Upper Gate, which is above the Court of Israel.
"At the gate behind the runners." Targum Yonatan [renders it]: "at the gate behind which is the gate of the runners." And in Chronicles it is written: "to the gatekeepers of the thresholds." It is the gate that was on the south side of the Court. Concerning it, it is said in Chronicles: "the House of the Storehouses." And the reason it is called "the gate of the runners" at that time is that the king's runners were there.
Masach. Explanation: "mishmeret masach" [guard against a breach], that you should guard against "masach," which is uprooting and destruction, as in the verse, "and you shall be torn away from the land" [Deuteronomy 28:63]. And in this place, it refers to the breaching of the guard duty, along the lines of "lest they break through to go up to the LORD." He warned them that they should stand in their guard duty together, one next to another, so that no one should separate from the order of the guard to go to another place. Alternatively, "masach" may be derived from "hesach ha-da'at" [diversion of the mind]: they should guard against diverting their minds to another matter, but rather their minds should be focused on the guard duty, to guard the king.
Metzudat David
And the third: the second third portion. They guarded at the "Gate of Sur," and our Sages of blessed memory said that it is the eastern gate. It was called so because from there the impure ones would depart, in accordance with the verse (Lamentations 4:15): "Depart, you are impure," they cried out to them. And in Chronicles (II 23:5) it is stated: "The Gate of the Foundation," and it is the same gate, because it was the place where holiness began, like a foundation for a building.
The third: the third portion, they shall guard at the gate behind it, "the gate of the runners"; so did Jonathan translate.
You are the guard of the house, lest anyone come in to kill the king.
"Masach." Targum Yonatan renders [it] "מדאשתלי" (i.e., from being forgotten/distracted), meaning: that they should guard without a lapse of attention.
Metzudat Zion
Distraction. From the word distraction of the mind:
Cross-references: I Kings 14:28; II Chronicles 23:5
And the other two parts of you, even all that go forth on the sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of Hashem about the king.
verse value 4568
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "guard" (אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "hand" (הַיָּדוֹת֙), "in·you" (בָּכֶ֔ם). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·house·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·the·king" (root איל, 153x in II Kings); "all" (root כל, 66x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Sabbath', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וּשְׁתֵּ֤י [two] (716) + הַיָּדוֹת֙ [hand] (425) + בָּכֶ֔ם [in·you] (62) + כֹּ֖ל [all] (50) + יֹצְאֵ֣י [going·out] (111) + הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת [Sabbath] (707) + וְשָׁ֥מְר֛וּ [and·they·will·keep] (552) + אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת [guard] (1381) + בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·house·of·Hashem] (438) + אֶל־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [to·the·king] (126) = 4568.
Rashi
And the two portions in you. That I said should be at the Sur gate and at the gate of the runners, and with them all who go out on the Sabbath, all men of the outgoing watch:
And guard the guard of the House of the Lord for the king. That no harm should come to him from within the House of the Lord, and he did not need all this except on the first Sabbath, until Athaliah was killed, and her helpers fled from the city:
Radak
"unto the king." "For the king."
Metzudat David
"And two divisions among you." Two-thirds [of the people] shall be with the king's guards, namely all the men of the outgoing Sabbath watch, for they are free from the Temple service, since the incoming Sabbath watch has come to take their place and they [the incoming watch] will perform the Temple service. Therefore, they [the incoming watch] cannot all guard the king, but only half of them.
"And they shall keep." Those who depart on the Sabbath shall keep [it] in the House of the Lord, for the sake of the King.
Metzudat Zion
The portions. The parts, so too (Genesis 47:24): and four portions:
And you shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and he that comes within the ranks, let him be slain; and be you with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in.’
verse value 3760
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אִ֚ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·ranks" (אֶל־הַשְּׂדֵר֖וֹת, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·you·shall·surround" (וְהִקַּפְתֶּ֨ם), "to·the·ranks" (אֶל־הַשְּׂדֵר֖וֹת), "when·he·goes·out" (בְּצֵאת֥וֹ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·the·king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "and·the·one·entering" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings); "man" (root איש, 119x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'day', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהִקַּפְתֶּ֨ם [and·you·shall·surround] (631) + עַל־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ [upon·the·king] (195) + סָבִ֗יב [around] (74) + אִ֚ישׁ [man] (311) + וְכֵלָ֣יו [and·his·weapons] (72) + בְּיָד֔וֹ [in·his·hand] (22) + וְהַבָּ֥א [and·the·one·entering] (14) + אֶל־הַשְּׂדֵר֖וֹת [to·the·ranks] (946) + יוּמָ֑ת [day] (456) + וִֽהְי֥וּ [and·be·you] (27) + אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ [the·king] (496) + בְּצֵאת֥וֹ [when·he·goes·out] (499) + וּבְבֹאֽוֹ [and·when·he·came] (17) = 3760.
Rashi
And he who comes to the sederot. A foreigner who comes into the district called sederot, and it is the location of the king's entry from his house to the House of the Lord, and I do not know what the term sederot means. And Yonatan translated [it]: sudraya:
Radak
"And he who comes to the colonnade." As the Targum translates: "And he who enters within the order," meaning that any man who enters within the order of your guards shall be put to death. In Chronicles it states, "And he who comes to the house shall be put to death." It is one and the same thing, for the entire house was their guard, as it is written, "From the right wing of the house to the left wing of the house, by the altar and the house."
Metzudat David
"and his vessels." His weapons.
"And he who comes." A stranger who comes within the ranks of the guard shall be put to death, for perhaps he is one of Athaliah's men, seeking to kill the king.
“when he goes out and when he comes in.” When he goes out from the house and when he comes into it.
Metzudat Zion
And encircle. And surround:
The ranks. Like formations, with a samekh, and it is from the word order and arrangement, and just as the organized force is called a formation, so too is it called ranks:
Malbim
And you shall surround him; and in Chronicles it says, "And the Levites surrounded the king, each with his weapon in his hand, and whoever came into the house shall be put to death, and they were with the king when he entered and when he exited." And I have already explained that there the verse speaks of the guards on the inside, and here it speaks of the guards in general, specifically the guards who are on the outside. Here, "and you shall surround him" refers to the king, namely the guards outside; and there it says, "and they surrounded the king," namely the guards inside, who literally surrounded him. Here it states that whoever comes to the ranks shall be put to death, meaning in the place where the orderly arrangement begins from the outside; and there it states that the inner guards took heed a second time that whoever comes into the house shall be put to death, so that no person would enter beyond his designated boundary. Therefore, here it says that they should be with the king when he exits and when he enters; and there it says that they should be with him when he enters and when he exits, for there it speaks of the inner guards, who received him upon his entry and accompanied him upon his exit. And when he went out, the outer guards accompanied him upon his exit, and likewise upon his return, they accompanied him upon his entry. Therefore, here it says "when he exits and when he enters."
And the captains over hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.
verse value 5771
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 87 letters. Notable word values: "going·in" (בָּאֵ֣י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "with" (עִ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Jehoiada" (אֶל־יְהוֹיָדָ֥ע, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 707: Sabbath, Sabbath. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "his·men" (אֶת־אֲנָשָׁ֔יו), "to·Jehoiada" (אֶל־יְהוֹיָדָ֥ע). The root מאה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·commanded" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "to·Jehoiada" (root איל, 153x in II Kings); "going·in" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Sabbath', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 3 words.
Radak
"And every man took his men." Each of the captains of hundreds took his men with him.
Ralbag
"And they took every man his men who came in on the Sabbath with those who went out on the Sabbath." And behold, they took from those who came in on the Sabbath half of them for this guard, and all those who went out on the Sabbath, as previously stated. And behold, Jehoiada did not trouble the other watches for this guard.
Metzudat David
“A man his men.” Every captain of a hundred, from among those who came in for the Sabbath and those who went out for the Sabbath, took his men:
And the priest delivered to the captains over hundreds the spear and shields that had been king David’s, which were in the house of Hashem.
verse value 5251
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 60 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·shields" (וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָטִ֔ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "to·princes·of" (לְשָׂרֵ֣י), "the·spear" (אֶֽת־הַחֲנִית֙), "and·the·shields" (וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָטִ֔ים). The root מאה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "that" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'David', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּתֵּ֨ן [and·gave] (466) + הַכֹּהֵ֜ן [priest] (80) + לְשָׂרֵ֣י [to·princes·of] (540) + (המאיות) [the·hundred] (462) + הַמֵּא֗וֹת [hundred] (452) + אֶֽת־הַחֲנִית֙ [the·spear] (874) + וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָטִ֔ים [and·the·shields] (801) + אֲשֶׁ֖ר [that] (501) + לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ [to·the·king] (120) + דָּוִ֑ד [David] (14) + אֲשֶׁ֖ר [that] (501) + בְּבֵ֥ית [in·the·house·of] (414) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 5251.
Radak
“the spear.” This is a general term, for He did not give them only one spear, but rather the meaning is “the spears.” And similarly it says in Chronicles: “the spears, and the shields, and the bucklers.” And the explanation of “bucklers” is that they were in the shape of shields; and so too are all the “bucklers” of the mighty men.
"Which is for King David." David would take spoils in his wars and consecrate them, such as the golden shields which he took from Hadadezer and others, and they were placed in the treasuries of the House of the Lord.
Ralbag
"And the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spear and the shields that belonged to King David." This means that King David had consecrated them.
Metzudat David
The spear. This means: a group of spears.
Which are for King David. Which David made, and they were placed in the House of the Lord:
Metzudat Zion
The shelatim. Like shields:
Malbim
The spears and the shields which belonged to King David, and Solomon made shields of gold, as mentioned above (I Kings 10), and attributed them to David, because they were made from the gold that David had left. And in Chronicles it says 'and the shields,' but they are not mentioned here, because Shishak took them, and copper shields were placed in their stead, as mentioned above (I Kings 14).
And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.
verse value 4939
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 73 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אִ֣ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "left" (הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔ית, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 417: the·house, the·house. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "from·shoulder·of" (מִכֶּ֨תֶף), "right" (הַיְמָנִית֙), "until·shoulder" (עַד־כֶּ֤תֶף). The root בית appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·the·king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "the·house" (root בית, 141x in II Kings); "man" (root איש, 119x in II Kings). First appearance of the root מזבח ("for·the·altar") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·the·house·of', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 2 words.
Ralbag
"around the king": This means, surrounding the king.
Metzudat David
"And the runners stood." In addition to those who entered on the Sabbath and those who exited on the Sabbath, the runners stood across the width of the House, meaning: in the Azarah.
To the altar. Before the altar and the Temple:
"On the king." Adjacent to the king and surrounding him:
Metzudat Zion
From the shoulder. From the side:
Malbim
"To the altar and to the house" – this implies that some of them guarded the altar; these were the inner guards, those who came in on Shabbat. And some of them guarded the house; these were the outer guards, those who went out after Shabbat. And both groups stood from the right shoulder to the left shoulder, one watch stationed within [more inward than] the other watch. (12) "The crown and the testimony" – Rashi explains that "the testimony" refers to the Torah scroll. In truth, according to the law, he was required to write for himself another Torah scroll after he became king. However, for the time being they placed one upon him. Moreover, it is necessary to investigate whether he fulfills the obligation with the Torah scroll he was commanded to write when he was young. "And they anointed him" – in Chronicles it is written, "And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him." For the anointing of a king must be done by the word of a prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, was a prophet. Our Sages of blessed memory already explained in Horayot and Keritot that even though a king who is the son of a king does not require anointing, here they anointed him because of the dispute with Athaliah. (13) "The voice of the runners and the voice of the people" – this means the voice of the runners and the voice of the people. In Chronicles it is written, "The voice of the people, the runners, and those praising the king." And one can interpret here as well: "the voice of the runners" and "the voice of the people praising."
Then he brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown and the insignia; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said: ‘Long live the king.’
verse value 4220
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "him" (אֹת֖וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·the·king" (אֶת־בֶּן־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "the·crown" (אֶת־הַנֵּ֙זֶר֙), "and·the·testimony" (וְאֶת־הָ֣עֵד֔וּת), "and·they·anointed·him" (וַיִּמְשָׁחֻ֑הוּ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·made·king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "and·they·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "upon·him" (root על, 116x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עדות ("and·the·testimony") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·anointed·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיּוֹצִ֣א [and·he·brought·out] (113) + אֶת־בֶּן־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ [son·of·the·king] (548) + וַיִּתֵּ֤ן [and·gave] (466) + עָלָיו֙ [upon·him] (116) + אֶת־הַנֵּ֙זֶר֙ [the·crown] (663) + וְאֶת־הָ֣עֵד֔וּת [and·the·testimony] (892) + וַיַּמְלִ֥כוּ [and·made·king] (112) + אֹת֖וֹ [him] (407) + וַיִּמְשָׁחֻ֑הוּ [and·they·anointed·him] (375) + וַיַּ֨כּוּ־כָ֔ף [and·struck·palm] (142) + וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ [and·they·said] (263) + יְחִ֥י [let·him·live] (28) + הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [king] (95) = 4220.
Rashi
The crown and the testimony. The Torah scroll, as it is written (Deuteronomy 17:19): and it shall be with him and he shall read in it all the days of his life. And our Sages said (Avodah Zarah 44a): the crown is the testimony, for whoever is worthy of royalty it becomes him, and whoever is not worthy of royalty it does not become him:
Radak
"The crown and the testimony." These are garments of royalty; [the word here] is from [the root of] "ve'adit edi" [and I adorned (her) with ornaments] — "edut" is of the same pattern (mishkal) as "ga'ut" [pride]. And the Targum [Yonatan] renders it: "ve'it kelila ve'it sahaduta" [and the crown and the testimony]. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, this crown was a testimony for the kings of the House of David: whoever was worthy of kingship, it suited him; and whoever was not worthy of kingship, it did not suit him. And Adonijah sought to place it upon himself, but it did not suit him.
"And they anointed him." Jehoiada and his sons. And so it is written in Chronicles: "And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him." And why did they anoint him? Is it not the case that one does not anoint a king who is the son of a king, due to the strife of Athaliah, just as Solomon was anointed due to the strife of Adonijah.
"Long live the king." The Targum: "May the king prosper."
Ralbag
“the crown and the testimony.” This means the crown, and I hold that he placed with him the Torah, which is called “testimony,” so that he would read it all the days of his life, and it would be with him, as is mentioned in the Torah.
"And they anointed him." Because of the controversy [stirred by] Athaliah, they were required to anoint him. This is also connected to the fact that it was not widely known that he was the king's son.
Metzudat David
And he brought out. From his hiding place:
The crown. A royal diadem:
The testimony. It is the Torah, which is called "testimony," and they tied it on his arm. And as our Sages of blessed memory said (Sanhedrin 22a) regarding the extra Torah scroll of the king, or perhaps it is from the language of "adorn and make beautiful," meaning: adorn him with royal garments, with precious stones.
And they struck the palm. This is a way of expressing joy.
Metzudat Zion
The crown. The diadem:
The testimony. From the word adornment and splendor, or referring to the Torah scroll:
Cross-references: II Kings 23:30; II Chronicles 23:11
And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the house of Hashem.
verse value 3331
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·people" (הָעָ֑ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·she·heard" (וַתִּשְׁמַ֣ע, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·she·heard" (וַתִּשְׁמַ֣ע), "voice" (אֶת־ק֥וֹל), "that·run" (הָרָצִ֖ין). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·the·people" (root איל, 153x in II Kings); "and·came" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַתִּשְׁמַ֣ע [and·she·heard] (816) + עֲתַלְיָ֔ה [Athaliah] (515) + אֶת־ק֥וֹל [voice] (537) + הָרָצִ֖ין [that·run] (355) + הָעָ֑ם [the·people] (115) + וַתָּבֹ֥א [and·came] (409) + אֶל־הָעָ֖ם [to·the·people] (146) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 3331.
Radak
"The voice of the runners, the people." The construct is elliptical [missing a word], and its proper form is "the runners, the runners of the people," like "dross [of] silver," "words of truth"; or it is like an inversion, as it says in Chronicles: "the voice of the people, the runners." Or, "voice" stands in place of two [words], meaning "the voice of the runners and the voice of the people"; and the nun of "ha-ratzin" is in place of a mem, just as "to the end of ha-yamin" is like "ha-yamim" [the days]. And the meaning of "kol ha-ratzin" is the voice of joy, for they were rejoicing and saying, "Long live the king." And in Chronicles it says, "the voice of the people, the runners, praising the king." And Targum [Yonatan] on "et kol ha-ratzim ha-am" [renders]: "yat qal de-raqdanin amma" [the voice of the people's dancers], meaning that they were dancing and clapping, as it says, "and they clapped hands."
Ralbag
"the voice of the guards, [and] the people": This means: the voice of the guards, and the voice of the people.
Metzudat David
"The voice of the people running." The voice of the people’s running, as if it said, "The voice of the running people."
And she looked, and, behold, the king stood on the platform, as the manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried: ‘Treason, treason.’
verse value 8853
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 98 letters. Verse gematria: 8853 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "standing" (עֹמֵ֨ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·trumpets" (וְהַחֲצֹֽצְרוֹת֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 600: treason, treason. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·saw" (וַתֵּ֡רֶא), "and·the·princes" (וְהַשָּׂרִ֤ים), "and·the·trumpets" (וְהַחֲצֹֽצְרוֹת֙). The root חצצרה appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "to·the·king" (root איל, 153x in II Kings); "earth" (root ארץ, 67x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עמוד ("upon·the·pillar") in II Kings. First appearance of the root חצצרה ("and·the·trumpets") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·trumpets', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
The pillar. It is the standing place of the king in the House of the Lord:
Conspiracy upon conspiracy. Rebellion upon rebellion is here:
Radak
"Standing by the pillar." [The] meaning is: adjacent to the pillar; and so "and you shall slaughter beside it" means adjacent to it; and "and next to it, the tribe of Manasseh" means adjacent to it. And the Targum renders: "standing by the pillar" [ka'im al astuna], and the meaning [of astuna] is a stav [portico/colonnade], which is a raised bench upon which the great officers sit. According to his view, the meaning of "pillar" is that there was, in that portico, a distinguished spot for the king to stand; therefore it is called "pillar." And so it says in Chronicles: "upon his standing place," meaning the place fitting for him to stand in.
Ralbag
“Standing by the pillar.” This means: next to the pillar.
Metzudat David
"Upon the pillar." This means: upon a specific place designated for the king to stand there, and this is "according to the ordinance," meaning: according to the custom of the king. And so it is stated in Chronicles (II 23:13): "Upon his pillar," and it is the same thing.
"Treason, treason." Here there is rebellion, and she repeated her words in the manner of one who is terrified.
Cross-references: II Kings 23:3; II Chronicles 23:13
And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds, the officers of the host, and said to them: ‘Have her forth between the ranks; and him that follows her slay with the sword’; for the priest said: ‘Let her not be slain in the house of Hashem.’
verse value 7214
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 106 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶם֙) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֚י, 2 letters) and the longest is "Jehoiada" (יְהוֹיָדָ֨ע, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: priest, priest. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "officers·of" (פְּקֻדֵ֣י), "bring·out" (הוֹצִ֤יאוּ), "to·from·house·of" (אֶל־מִבֵּ֣ית). The root כהן appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·from·house·of" (root איל, 153x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 18 and 6 words.
Rashi
Take her out. From the Temple to the ranks, and bring her by way of the house of the ranks to the king's house, and do not let her go out by way of the exit of the court to the city, lest she find helpers and they join with her:
And he who comes after her. In her support:
He shall be put to death by the sword. [I.e.,] to kill [him] by the sword:
Radak
"Take her out between the ranks." They brought her out from the House of the Lord, and she went out through the place of the ranks, which is the formation of the guards; and if a man went out after her to help them, they put him to death with the sword.
"[He shall be] put to death" [hamet]. [This is] an infinitive [form].
Ralbag
Take her out from within the ranks. This means take her out in such a manner that she would always be within the ranks and formations of the guards who protect the king, so that she would not escape and flee.
"And the one who comes after her shall be put to death by the sword." This means that anyone who follows after her, coming with her, shall be put to death by the sword, so that people would not gather around her and she would not gain even a little strength. And they appointed for her a place of flight, which they had chosen, and thus she came by the way of the entrance of the horses, into the king's house. And there she was not able to turn hither and thither, and they killed her there, because the priest did not want her to be put to death within the House of the Lord.
Metzudat David
"Pekudei ha-chayil." Those appointed over the army:
"Take her out within the ranks." This means: Take her out, outside the Temple; but she should go within the ranks — meaning: within the formation of the guards, so that she would not escape.
And the one who comes after her: to be in her aid, his sentence is to be put to death by the sword.
"For he said," etc. And for this reason they did not put her to death immediately.
Malbim
"Between the ranks" – to a place that is within the ranks of the formation of the outer guards who were surrounding the Temple, so that she not be put to death in the House of the Lord:
So they made way for her; and she went by the way of the horses’entry to the king’s house; and there was she slain.
verse value 3029
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. Verse gematria: 3029 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·her" (לָהּ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "way·of·entrance" (דֶּרֶךְ־מְב֥וֹא, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·they·put" (וַיָּשִׂ֤מוּ), "hand" (יָדַ֔יִם), "and·she·came" (וַתָּב֛וֹא). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "and·she·came" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings); "house·of" (root בית, 141x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיָּשִׂ֤מוּ [and·they·put] (362) + לָהּ֙ [to·her] (35) + יָדַ֔יִם [hand] (64) + וַתָּב֛וֹא [and·she·came] (415) + דֶּרֶךְ־מְב֥וֹא [way·of·entrance] (273) + הַסּוּסִ֖ים [the·horses] (181) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ [king] (95) + וַתּוּמַ֖ת [and·was·died] (852) + שָֽׁם [there] (340) = 3029.
Rashi
And they placed for her hands. A place, 'aisances,' in the vernacular:
Radak
"And they appointed for her hands." They provided her with a place from which to exit by the same route that leads from the House of the Lord to the King's House, which is the way of the entrance of the horses into the house, and there they put her to death.
Metzudat David
“And they appointed for her hands.” They made for her a clear space to walk out of the House of the Lord, and she came to the king’s house by the way in which the horses come, and there she was slain.
And Jehoiada made a covenant between Hashem and the king and the people, that they should be Hashem’S people; between the king also and the people.
verse value 3186
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3186 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "between" (בֵּ֤ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·covenant" (אֶֽת־הַבְּרִ֗ית, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 115: the·people, the·people. The root בין appears 5 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·be" (root היה, 119x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Rashi
Between the Lord and the king and the people. That the king and the people should be after the Lord, and afterward between the king and the people, that they should be servants to the king:
Radak
"Between the LORD and the king." Initially, a covenant was made between the LORD, the king, and the people, that they would all be [devoted] to the service of the LORD and to remove the Baal[-idols]; afterward, a covenant was made between the king and the people.
Ralbag
"And Jehoiada made a covenant." Behold, first he made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they would be a people to the Lord; and afterwards he made a covenant between the king and the people, that he would be their king and they would be his people.
Metzudat David
"To be a people unto the Lord." [This phrase] also refers to "and between the king," meaning that he too will serve the Lord.
"Between the king and the people." This means that the king shall wage the people's wars, and they shall serve him according to the proper law befitting a king.
Malbim
"Between the Lord, etc." – This means that a covenant was made that the king and the people would serve the Lord, and this is the covenant between the Lord and the king and the people. Afterwards, a covenant was made between the king and the people that they would be loyal to their king, in such a way that the second covenant is dependent on the first. And indeed, this is what happened later: when he [the king] abandoned the Lord, they conspired against him and killed him.
And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down; his altars and his images broke they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of Hashem.
verse value 6987
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 99 letters. Notable word values: "thoroughly" (הֵיטֵ֔ב) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and" (וְאֵ֗ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·altars" (אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֤ו, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: thoroughly, Hashem. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·they·broke·it·down" (וַֽיִּתְּצֻ֗הוּ), "his·altars" (אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֤ו), "and·his·images" (וְאֶת־צְלָמָיו֙). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings); "house·of·Baal" (root בית, 141x in II Kings). First appearance of the root שבר ("they·broke") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·altars', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 5 words.
Rashi
Officers. Those appointed to guard in their place of guard according to the law, for Athaliah had abolished the order of the guards of the house:
Radak
"And Mattan." The priest of Baal — his name was Mattan.
"And the priest appointed watches." The Targum: "And the priest appointed watches." That is, the divisions that had been established from the beginning — he now reinstated them in their places; for it appears that, because the kings who preceded him had worshipped Baal, nothing remained in the House of the LORD in its proper place or order. And so it is written in Chronicles: "And Jehoiada appointed the courses of the House of the LORD in the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned over the House of the LORD, to offer up burnt offerings," etc.
Ralbag
"And Mattan, the priest of Baal." I think the intention here is that those given to the priest of Baal, who were the other priests who were there serving with him, he killed them all before the altars.
"And the priest placed overseers over the House of the Lord." This means that he appointed there designated individuals and officials, so that the matter would be arranged in utmost order. And among the matters of these designated individuals was the establishment of the watches, each according to its original function.
Metzudat David
"Guards over the House of the Lord." [These were] officers as David had instituted, for when they served Baal, the officers had been nullified.
Metzudat Zion
And they tore it down. From the word demolition and breaking:
Thoroughly. Meaning: with strength, so too (Deuteronomy 9:21): I ground him thoroughly:
Mattan. Such was his name:
Malbim
"And all the people of the land came." And indeed they did so in practice, for they hastened first to fulfill the words of the first covenant by abolishing the house of Baal and killing the priest of Baal. And the priest placed ordinances upon the House of the Lord. And it is explained in Chronicles that the ordinances were that the daily offerings be brought according to their law, and to guard the Temple as commanded in the written text, as it is stated at the beginning of the tractate Tamid.
And he took the captains over hundreds, and the Carites, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of Hashem, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.
verse value 7275
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 99 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and" (וְאֵ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·guard" (וְאֶת־הָרָצִ֜ים, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 452: hundred, from·the·house·of. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·the·Carites" (וְאֶת־הַכָּרִ֨י), "and·the·guard" (וְאֶת־הָרָצִ֜ים), "and·brought·down" (וַיֹּרִ֤ידוּ). The root מלך appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·they·went·in" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 3 words.
Rashi
And they came by way of the gate of the runners. To the king's house:
Ralbag
"And they came by way of the Gate of the Runners." It might seem that this gate was called so from the days of Rehoboam, for then Rehoboam appointed his officers and stationed them at the chamber of the runners.
Malbim
And he took afterward: he fulfilled the second covenant between the king and the people. And what is written, "the Carites and the guards," is explained in Chronicles as "the mighty men and the rulers."
Cross-references: II Samuel 20:23; II Chronicles 23:20
So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet; and they slew Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.
verse value 3723
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "house·of" (בֵּ֥ית, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Athaliah" (וְאֶת־עֲתַלְיָ֛הוּ, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·he·rejoiced" (וַיִּשְׂמַ֥ח), "all·people·of·the·land" (כׇּל־עַם־הָאָ֖רֶץ), "and·the·city" (וְהָעִ֣יר). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 407x in II Kings); "house·of" (root בית, 141x in II Kings); "all·people·of·the·land" (root ארץ, 67x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'she·was·quiet', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׂמַ֥ח [and·he·rejoiced] (364) + כׇּל־עַם־הָאָ֖רֶץ [all·people·of·the·land] (456) + וְהָעִ֣יר [and·the·city] (291) + שָׁקָ֑טָה [she·was·quiet] (414) + וְאֶת־עֲתַלְיָ֛הוּ [and·Athaliah] (928) + הֵמִ֥יתוּ [they·slew] (461) + בַחֶ֖רֶב [in·the·sword] (212) + בֵּ֥ית [house·of] (412) + (מלך) [king] (90) + הַמֶּֽלֶךְ [king] (95) = 3723.
Radak
"House of the king." So is it written in the ketiv and read in the qere: "the king," and it is one and the same, except that in the written text the definite article is omitted.
Metzudat David
“And the city was quiet.” This means that no further war was stirred up on account of this matter, for they had killed Athaliah, and there was no one left to incite war.
Metzudat Zion
She quieted. She calmed:
Malbim
“And they killed Ataliah with the sword in the king’s house”: It has already been mentioned that they killed her, and one may say that initially they rendered her a goses (a dying person), and afterwards they completed her death in accordance with the law; and they killed her with the sword of the king’s house, in accordance with the law that one who is liable to the king receives his death by the sword.
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David